RAG Austria plant harnesses summer sun to make hydrogen for green power and heat in winter

Innio Group reported Oct. 14 that its 1 MW-class hydrogen combined heat and power (CHP) plant is supporting RAG Austria AG at the start of the 2024-25 heating season. Reported to be the first its kind in Europe, this solution was commissioned by Innio in June 2024 at RAG Austria's facility in Gampern. It supplies the industrial plant with green electricity and green heat.

The Jenbacher CHP plant is powered by green hydrogen, which is produced in summer through water electrolysis and stored in the world's first underground hydrogen storage in a porous reservoir in Rubensdorf near Gampern. This storage facility can hold up to 4.2 GWh of surplus solar power in the form of hydrogen. The electricity and heat generated in the Jenbacher CHP plant are used for the site’s local requirements, which achieves a high utilization rate.

“With our hydrogen energy solution, we’re supporting RAG Austria in transforming the energy value chain,” says Andreas Kunz, CTO at Innio. “Together, we’re demonstrating that decarbonizing communities and industrial sites is possible.”

With this flagship project, Innio and RAG Austria are taking an important step towards net-zero emissions. Working together, they’re helping solve one of the central challenges of energy transition—seasonal storage of surplus solar power from the summer months for energy-intensive winters. At the same time, the Jenbacher plant in Gampern is an important showcase project for subsequent upscaling and gradual replacement of natural gas with hydrogen, and for the transition to purely emission-free power generation all year.

Markus Mitteregger, CEO at RAG Austria, adds, “With the help of Jenbacher technology, we can decouple generation of renewable energy generation from consumption, enabling sustainable, secure supply year round.”